About My Father’s Business
According to Luke 12:36, Jesus exhorts his men to be prepared, like groomsmen waiting for their master the bridegroom. What does it mean to await the master’s arrival? How would you live if you knew Jesus were coming today? What would you do to be prepared for this most special day? What would be your priority? He can come any moment…even right now, but he didn’t. Living in anticipation of our Lord’s return will keep our priorities in line. God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Therefore Hebrews 10 says stimulate each other to love and good deeds.
The return of the Lord Jesus Christ will be preceded by unprecedented natural disasters. These will be the signs of the times just like when you see thunder clouds on the horizon signaling the approaching storm. Christ’s return will be like in the days of Noah when the floods came and the people didn’t know what hit them. To be dressed in readiness, we need to be found faithful, like servants with their lamps burning, their wicks trimmed and their vessels filled with oil. His servants will be prepared so that when the bridegroom returns for the wedding feast, they will be ready to receive him.
Jesus said to the churches in Revelation 3, “I stand at the door and knock. If you open the door to me I will enter in.” It’s not sin that keeps a man from salvation but rather the rejection of the Saviour from sin.
There’s nothing that we can do in our own power that can lead to salvation. As Paul said, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. However, where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more. For in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.
In 2 Timothy 2, Paul exhorts men of God to refuse foolish and unlearned questions. Although Jesus knew that Peter would deny him, he also knew that Peter needed to be broken in order to commit his life as a bond-servant for his Lord. A broken and a contrite heart is the beginning of true repentance. For if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
In Luke 2 Mary and Joseph journeyed to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover when Jesus was twelve years old. They followed all the rituals according to the Old Testament law. After the Passover feast Mary and Joseph headed home to Nazareth. They had already traveled a day’s journey when they discovered that Jesus was not in their caravan. In a panic, they returned to Jerusalem to look for their son. After three days, they finally found him in the temple. All of the people in the Temple were amazed and marveled at the questions and the answers that he gave the scholars and doctors of the Old Testament law. Mary and Joseph said to their son, “why have you done this to us?” Jesus’ answer was, “Know ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” He wasn’t talking about the carpentry business.
Mary and Joseph didn’t understand what Jesus meant. Maybe God allowed their misunderstanding so that they wouldn’t be lifted up with pride about their son who was the promised Messiah who came to redeem mankind. What was Jesus’ Father’s business? His Father’s business was your redemption and mine. His purpose was to shed his innocent blood in exchange for our guilty blood. For he who knew no sin became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
What is our Father’s business? Our Father’s business is that we would be a witness of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have been given the great commission… He has given us the word of reconcilliation and committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation. Therefore we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. To reconcile is to bring back together that which has been separated. Jesus said, the works that I do shall they do and greater works shall they do because I go unto my Father. The greater works is salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Our business is to become the word of God for salvation…for we are his epistles, his love letters, written not with ink or in tables of stone, but in the tables of the heart. Therefore, preach Jesus Christ and him crucified, resurrected and seated at God’s right hand… For the power that raised Jesus from the dead is the power of God unto salvation.
James said, “be ye doers of the word and not hearers only.” The answer to the age-old question, “what would Jesus do” is found in another question: “Know ye not that I must be about my father’s business?”
May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael